AUDIOJUNKIE: Three chords and the truth
“The best things in life are often found when you’re not looking for them.” Thirty-six years ago, “Rattle & Hum” was released by U2 on Oct. 10, 1988. During this time, U2 -- drummer Larry Mullen, Jr., bassist Adam Clayton, guitarist The Edge, and lead singer Bono -- was riding high with “The Joshua Tree,” with tracks like “With or Without You” and “Where The Streets Have No Name” still ringing fresh on rock radio. Back in ‘88, the new wave was still big! Especially for 14-year-old me, I remember back then, I had recently had the capacity to buy music of my own choosing. The mission was to buy a new wave record, and U2’s “Rattle & Hum” was an obvious choice. I mean, “New Year’s Day” and “Sunday Bloody Sunday” were already staples of the new wave genre, right?
It was unexpected, though; instead of finding new wave anthems on U2’s latest record, I instead had my primer for a whole slew of music styles and an introduction to other towering figures of rock music. It was blues on “When Love Comes to Town” where I, to paraphrase Bono’s lyrics, ‘first heard a guitar scream’ courtesy of B.B. King. I was exposed to The Beatles' grittier side via U2’s incendiary cover of “Helter Skelter.” It was gospel-tinged sounds on the live version of “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” and on “Angel of Harlem,” which I encountered for the first time, the name Billie Holiday. Ditto for Dr. Martin Luther King, who was the inspiration for the “new wave” staple “Pride (In The Name Of Love),” and a certain Bob Dylan, who originally wrote “All Along The Watchtower,” where Bono improvised the lyrics “all I got is a red guitar / three chords and the truth.” The record carried a resounding theme of spirituality and faith, as evident in songs such as “Love Rescue Me” and “God Part II.” Heck, there was a full-blown choir that closed out “I Still Haven’t Found…” and on “Hawkmoon 269.” Then there was social and political commentary with Bono making sure where he stands on greed and militarism on songs such as the feedback-laden versions of “Bullet The Blue Sky,” and his ominous but illuminating tirade about Apartheid on “Silver and Gold.”
All these songs were unexpected but eventually grew on me. Even the punk-strewn lead track “Desire,” and the righteously sentimental song “All I Want Is You” (the latter, I consider as one of the best love ballads from a rock band), eventually lead me to all these varied musical styles and paths that, as a listener, I still bravely take up to this very day. The moral is, there’s a bigger world outside of your current musical leanings — some of the best things you find when you’re not looking for them.
On a somewhat related tangent, like U2 opening eyes and ears on issues such as corruption in politics, music artists have it in them, the power to exact change. Not just in music, art in general can usher in a paradigm shift.
The movement on the ground where we’re seeing Pinoys finally waking up from their collective numbness and getting fired up is just the start. It’s not just happening in the rallies, but in art as well, and music is a reliable vehicle to get the message across, so to speak.
Did you see those Pinoy rappers on social media? Specifically, DJ Medmessiah drops truths alongside wicked beats on “Anak Ka Ng Pu!” Protests from the streets blasted directly into your headphones.
Three bars, a mic, and the truth.